


Your Dilemma, Mine

by limyth (unknownymous)



Series: Connected Stories [3]
Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 07:29:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2539472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknownymous/pseuds/limyth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His guardian asking him about his day was probably the last thing Slaine ever expected to happen.</p><p>And the worst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Dilemma, Mine

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Aldnoah.Zero does not belong to me.
> 
> Thanks to my beta reader blue_spectrum for clearing out my mistakes!
> 
> Set between Gloss Over and Yes, Lets

Slaine didn't understand.

Last he checked, his guardian Cruhteo could care less if he went home late or if he went home at all. Cruhteo didn't bother to ask him about his day or his grades or if he had friends or if he somehow ended up sporting a new bruise. He left him to his own devices, set a time for them to eat together and gave him his daily allowance for the things he wanted. When he needed extra and would ask, Cruhteo would provide him exactly what he asked after being given a justifiable reason. Slaine was left to do his own thing at best, and disciplined rigorously at worst. Cruhteo didn't ask him questions. Not until then...in which case, _he didn't understand_.

No matter how many times he racked his brain, Slaine couldn't find anything he'd done recently to have induced such an exaggerated amount of attention.

One day it just happened, and it all started when Slaine came home to the sight of his guardian sitting in the living room, reading a book. Slaine didn't think much of it and took his shoes off. He made his way to the stairs across the front door just passed the couch Cruhteo was lounging on. Slaine bowed his head with a quick greeting and resumed his walk to the stairs, but jerked in surprise when Cruhteo's book snapped shut. His name left the man's lips in a quiet, monotonous lilt.

"Slaine."

Slaine stayed still for a second, feeling his muscles tense and his hands start to sweat. He slowly turned to look at his guardian. The man was looking at him, paying attention to him so fully that he started to feel a rise of panic just from the look. Steeling himself, Slaine swallowed, stood on attention, and broke eye contact.

"Yes sir?" He asked meekly, careful to not give away his panic, if only by voice alone. Slaine waited, feeling his insides quake as the man leaned forward and set aside the book.

"...How was your day?"

Slaine almost recoiled.

He did _not_ see that coming, and it showed in the lines of his face. He was gobsmacked in all the sense of the word. How was he supposed to respond to _that_?

"...Is there a problem? Are you feeling unwell?" Cruhteo asked.

Slaine took one huge involuntary step back.

The man had just asked about his _day_. He'd asked about his _problems_ and asked about his _health_.

Who was this man and what had he done to his guardian?

Alarm bells rang in the back of Slaine's mind and his heart raced in an effort to keep up with the current events. A nagging thought followed, reminding him that there was still one other person he could turn to in such a situation. He'd have to call Saazbaum for this.

"Slaine", Cruhteo's voiced snapped him back to the present, and the sight of the man standing and moving towards him caused his heart to hammer in his chest. He couldn't move. Slaine was rooted to the floor, and could only watch as his guardian approached. He felt the blood leave his face when the man reached for him, and watched the hand in slow motion as it moved to grab him by the back of his head.

In the next second, he was lightly pressing foreheads with his guardian while the man assessed him with his never-ending gaze. Slaine swallowed, Cruhteo released his grip.

"You look pale but you don't seem to have a fever. What's wrong?"

... _What's wrong_? Slaine echoed, feeling himself tilt backwards, still looking at the man with a horror stricken face.

His mind could barely even complete his answer before his vision tunnel and his world went black.

The answer was apparent, though. The answer, was " _You_ ".

 

**OMAKE**

 

Cruhteo jerked forward the moment he saw his young charge tilt. He caught the boy just in time before he could kiss the floor, and carefully hefted him in his arms. Looking at the ashen face of the seventeen year old, Cruhteo took a mental note to do something about the situation.

Adjusting his grip on the boys' shoulders and knees, he gingerly made his way up the stairs and into the boys' room where he lay him down on the bed. He made quick work of the boys' clothes and had Slaine under the blankets in minutes. Once done with the task, Cruhteo took a moment to regard the boy and noted the discomfort in his face.

He clenched his teeth and fished out the phone from his pocket, dialed a number and pressed the phone to his ear. He didn't bother with any greetings and spoke the moment the person on the other line picked up.

"You were right", Cruhteo admitted. The voice on the other side responded with a snicker.

"And how long did it take before he blacked out?"

"Don't test me, Saazbaum." Cruhteo snarled.

Saazbaum's voice replied without a care in the world.

"I told you, you've been too strict with him. Anything you do now to make up for your actions will only put him on edge." Saazbaum's voice paused. "I bet Slaine considered calling _me_ for help." Saazbaum drawled.

"Hold your tongue, _count_. This isn't the end of this." Cruhteo promised. He was only met with amused laughter, and the line went dead.

"Tch", Cruhteo clicked his tongue. No matter what scenario he played in his head, the results always ended up the same. Slaine petrified, then Slaine blacking out. He'd have to do something soon to remedy the situation. Thing's weren't looking up, especially since it looked like Slaine was being stolen from right under his nose. What's worst, it was by a younger _boy_ in Little Asseylum's class.

He could still remember the moment he'd caught Slaine twirling around an orange flavored _lipstick_ in his desk, sighing and abscent minded. It wasn't a pleasant memory by a long shot and the situation was far from good.

He'd have to do something about it, and fast.

The biggest problem remained, however: _What_?

He'd think of something, Cruhteo promised himself. For now, he'd start with the most basic of things.

The bane of any teenagers' existence.

_Curfew._

 

**Author's Note:**

> Note: This is basically what I think would happen if Cruhteo suddenly tried to be nice to Slaine. XD
> 
> Forgive me for the crazies.


End file.
